Library plan hits another snag

The Canby Urban Renewal Agency must once again ponder a location for a new library-city hall building.

The most recent proposal to build a $14.6 million civic center on Third Avenue suffered a setback when owners of property essential to the project said they would not sell.

Its a bit of a disappointment to the plan we were looking at, said URA chairman Tim Dale.

The URA commissioners will discuss this development and options available to them in a 7 p.m. workshop following a special URA meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8.

There are a variety of ideas and options on how to keep the project moving forward, Dale said. The workshop will provide a chance to talk about those ideas, he said.

A project to build a new library on Second Avenue was approved in August 2012 but was killed by a new council majority July 10, 2013. The $12 million project included remodeling the old library into city hall offices.

After considering options including sites across from Wait Park and in Pioneer Industrial Park, city officials settled on a proposal to build a two-story, combined library and city hall on Third Avenue between Holly and Ivy streets.

But key to that project was acquiring the necessary land, especially the parcel next to the library, holding a graphics shop and a house. Now that parcel is not available.

Wednesday the board will ponder a next step for the civic center project.

There are a couple possibilities still here in town, Dale said. We could also talk about what we have now and going vertical.

The Canby Urban Renewal Agency must once again ponder a location for a new library-city hall building.

The most recent proposal to build a $14.6 million civic center on Third Avenue suffered a setback when owners of property essential to the project said they would not sell.

Its a bit of a disappointment to the plan we were looking at, said URA chairman Tim Dale.

The URA commissioners will discuss this development and options available to them in a 7 p.m. workshop following a special URA meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8.

There are a variety of ideas and options on how to keep the project moving forward, Dale said. The workshop will provide a chance to talk about those ideas, he said.